anasmith7186896http://booklikes.com/photo/crop/50/50/upload/avatar/2/2/228b21c05a7a62126cc990377da2cbda.jpganasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com2018-02-22T06:24:27+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/rssreview: Pick It All Up2015-03-23T00:00:00+00:002015-03-23T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151068/pick-it-all-upanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comDestiel fic

I quite enjoyed this fic, up until the last part, where the melodrama just about killed me. But the first 75% or so is quite good, and the reason the fic didn't get 2 stars because the ending annoyed me so much.

I especially enjoyed Castiel, as well as his relationship with Gabriel.

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review: the fortress round my heart2015-03-18T00:00:00+00:002015-03-18T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151069/the-fortress-round-my-heartanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comA dark story (in an emotional sense), hard to read because it almost made me cry. But in the end, still hopeful.
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review: Finding Miracles2015-03-18T00:00:00+00:002015-03-18T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151070/finding-miraclesanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comA bit too melodramatic for me, hence the lower rating. But, I would still recommend the series. :)
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review: A Simple Life2015-03-18T00:00:00+00:002015-03-18T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151071/a-simple-lifeanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comThe awesome things you can find when you click on fox!Stiles tag on ao3. :-)

I liked this, a lot. Especially the relationship itself, it just made me wanna cuddle them. ;-)
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review: until we become something new2015-03-18T00:00:00+00:002015-03-18T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151072/until-we-become-something-newanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comCuteness abound. And lots of funny moments while Stiles is learning about being a werefox. :-)
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review: The List2015-03-18T00:00:00+00:002015-03-18T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151154/the-listanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com
3.5 stars

This was really unsettling. Told from Isaac's perspective, it gives his insight into Stiles and Derek's relationship. And it's not pretty. It's dark.

Not that spoilerish, but I figure it's better to put it in tags:

[spoiler]

It portrays Derek's possessiveness in a way that is far from ideal. Scratch that, it's downright abusive, I just wanted to yell at Stiles to get away.

[/spoiler]

And this is a spoiler:

[spoiler]

And I was just starting to hope, and then Derek turned Stiles and I almost started sobbing.

[/spoiler]

The last line of the story, just about killed me:

[spoiler]

Stiles will never be able to leave, the string is wrapped too tight.

[/spoiler]

I didn't enjoy the story, but it made me think. And feel.

Objectively, the rating should be higher, but I just don't want to do it.

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review: Prince Among Wolves (Kingdom of Three, #1)2015-02-03T00:00:00+00:002015-02-03T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151073/prince-among-wolves-kingdom-of-three-1anasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comSerious cuteness overload! :-)
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review: The Boy and the Beast2015-02-02T00:00:00+00:002015-02-02T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151074/the-boy-and-the-beastanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comA very good Sterek fic. Derek is stuck in wolf form as a result of a curse. I just love his and Stiles' relationship in this one. It's both cute and serious at the same time. There were even moments that made me weepy (and I don't cry easily), but there were also lots of awww moments. :-)
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review: Promise You'll Look After Him2015-01-31T00:00:00+00:002015-01-31T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151075/promise-you-ll-look-after-himanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comI really, really liked this. It's heartbreaking, and still hopeful. I'm off to read the rest of the author's fics.
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review: Game Theory (Fae Tales Verse, #1)2015-01-11T00:00:00+00:002015-01-11T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151076/game-theory-fae-tales-verse-1anasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comThis won't be much of a review, but I just have to gush a bit. :-)

I loved this!

The world, the characters, everything. Especially Augus and Gwyn. *sigh*

True, it is a bit confusing at the beginning, since there is a prequel that explains some of the background (the prequel is Legend of the Guardians fanfic, but this is mostly original characters; in fact the author is working on making this completely original). But, things get cleared up soon. And then it becomes amazing!!!! :-)

Highly recommended! But, before going into this, do read the warnings on AO3. The author is pretty good in listing all of the possible triggers.

It's a cute story and I enjoyed it, but I just didn't love it. Bastien is great, and his family (as always) amazing, but I couldn't get Kirby at all. And their relationship lacks the spark that can usually be found in Ms. Singh's other couples.

Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews - 5 stars

I love this story to pieces! Both Jim and Dali are awesome, but together they rock! I also enjoyed Dali's family, the mythology involved in the story, but mostly Jim and Dali and their dialogue, they way they treat each other, basically everything about them being together. And, of course, Jim. :-)

Lucky Charms by Lisa Shearin- 4 stars

I haven't read anything by this author before, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. The story is a prequel to Ms. Shearin's SPI Files series, and it introduces us to Mac, who's just starting out as a seer in a government agency. I really like Mac, and the story, for all its shortness, was full of humor and action. I will definitely bump up [b:The Grendel Affair|17912981|The Grendel Affair (SPI Files, #1)|Lisa Shearin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382941457s/17912981.jpg|25100815], the first book in the series in, up my tbr.

Lucky Charms by Milla Vane - 2 stars

This was my least favorite story in the anthology. I disliked both the hero Kavik and the heroine Mala, and I just couldn't get past that. Not to mention that there were some instances in which I could barely get myself to accept their behavior. While the plot itself is intriguing, there were some things that I couldn't accept.
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review: Die Buying2014-09-04T00:00:00+01:002014-09-04T00:00:00+01:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151078/die-buyinganasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comI'm a big fan of cozy mysteries (in theory). Reading the synopsis tends to make me want to read the book. The problem that usually occurs when I get my hands on one is that I get irritated by the main character who sticks their nose in police business. I do know that it's the definition of a cozy mystery, but something between the idea and the realization doesn't seem to work for me. But I decided to give this book a chance.

The heroine, Emma-Joy Ferris used to be Army military police, but when she got wounded in Iraq, she lost any chance of being a real police officer. She settled for being a mall cop. And it was a nice and quiet job, at least until a corpse was found in the mall. And Emma-Joy couldn't help but get involved.

What made me more optimistic about the book is the fact that Emma-Joy did have some experience with policing, and did know what to do. I liked her, as well as some other characters like her grandfather and the detective in charge with the murder investigation.

The mystery itself was interesting with multiple suspects who all had varied motives for murder.

One of the problems I had with the book is that it didn't manage to pull me in. I liked it, but it didn't wow me. Maybe the problem lies with the fact that I just read 5 books from Karin Slaughter's Will Trent series (which I consider hard core mystery/suspense), and that it differed too much, but I expect a 4 or 5 star book to do it regardless of my mood or previous read.

I will read the next book in the series [b:All Sales Fatal|12412870|All Sales Fatal (A Mall Cop Mystery, #2)|Laura DiSilverio|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323190691s/12412870.jpg|17394582], because I do like Emma-Joy and the author managed to get me interested in her life (I do hope that the arrogant detective shows up again :-) ).
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review: Four Friends2014-05-01T00:00:00+01:002014-05-01T00:00:00+01:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151085/four-friendsanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comI have to admit that it took me a while to actually start this book. Just wasn't in the mood for it I guess, but once I did make it through the fist chapter I could hardly put it down.

Anyway, this is a story of four friends:

Gerri always considered her life to be happy, and other than her work, smooth sailing. And then she found out her husband had an affair six years ago, and it seems so fragile, her life, kids, and especially marriage.

Andy, Andy hasn't had much luck with men. After 2 failed marriages and four boyfriends, she still didn't meet one that would stick by her side. But this second divorce is taking its toll. The only one who makes it seem better is her very-ordinary looking contractor.

Then there's Sonja. Sonja's always been into New Age stuff, but she never realized how much people minded it. Having her husband walk out because he couldn't stand it anymore was a nasty wake up call.

And lastly, there's BJ the silent new neighbor. She's got secrets. Bad ones. But she never hesitated to step in when she thought she could help.

I liked all of them, but their friendship is what makes them shine. Through all the bad stuff, through their lives falling apart, they managed to maintain it.

But my favorite story line was Gerri. Her husband, Phil, her children all of it. Well, her and Andy. I just love Bob (the contractor).

It was gratifying seeing the four strong women find their way in a dark period of their lives. Strongly recommended.

I'm not a big reader of Women's Fiction, but there's something about this book that made it impossible for me not to like it.

ARC received from Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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review: The Chance2014-03-18T00:00:00+00:002014-03-18T00:00:00+00:00http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.com/post/1151086/the-chanceanasmith7186896http://anasmith7186896.booklikes.comI'm a fan of Robyn Carr. I really am. But I had so much trouble even finishing this book. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it, but it was a real struggle to just reach the end. More on the reasons later.Special agent Lanie Carrington has come to Thunder Point to recover from the gunshot wound she received as a part of an undercover operation. After all, Thunder Point is the perfect place to do it - quiet and lovely and full of friendly people. And then she meets Eric Gentry.

Eric came to Thunder Point so that he could spend time with his daughter (he just learned of her existence). He is busy spending time with her and trying to get the local gas station running. He has no time for romance. Especially not with Lanie. You see ex-cons and cops really don't have that much in common. But, resistance is futile.I liked Erice and everything he is trying to accomplish. He turned his life around and is now a successful man. My problem is Lanie - I didn't like her at all. Everything about her rubbed me the wrong way. And it's not the fact that she's an alpha female. It made it difficult for me to read the book, I found her that off putting.

As always, Ms. Carr manged to make a small town alive and real. That part still shone trough. It's nice revisiting the characters from previous books.

The book picked up halfway through when Al, Eric's employee got his point of view. A wanderer with a kind heart, he completely captured my attention. I loved his story.All in all, a sweet romance in line with the rest of Ms. Carr's work, but one that unfortunately didn't work for me.

Ever since I realized that Ace,Cruz&Rachel will be together I've been (impatiently) waiting for their book to come out. So, the second I received the book I started reading it. I've finished it in a matter of hours, and then spent the next few days trying to come to terms with the book and my feelings about it. I liked it, but it simply didn't live up to my expectations. More on that later.

Rachel

The moment Rachel became an O'Kane in order to cement the alliance between her father and Dallas O'Kane, everything in her life changed. But she would pick Sector Four over Eden any time. Lately though, things haven't been going well. First there was Ace, who wasn't willing to change his hedonistic lifestyle in order to be with her. And then there was Cruz, who seemed a safer bet, yet it still didn't work out. But now, it seems that Cruz decided that it will work out. And he is a man who gets what he wants. Cruz

Lorenzo Cruz used to be a soldier in Eden. But life threw a curveball at him and now his allegiance is with the O'Kanes. True, he doesn't trust completely, but that isn't easy for a man like him. But the true test comes in form of Rachel and Ace. Rachel is everything he could want in a woman, and all he has to do is to convince her of it. Ace, Ace is the one that confuses him. His head is telling him that there shouldn't be anything between them, but he can't help but desire Ace. But he will still do anything to make sure their ménage a trois succeeds.Ace

And then there's Ace Santana with his hedonistic reputation, murky past and the desire to corrupt his new lovers. For all their experience, they are still innocents compared to him. Everything in him is screaming to run, not to endanger himself, but the temptation is hard to resist.

I really like Ace and Cruz. I mean, Rachel is OK too, but for me Ace and Cruz were the ones that shone. I love how different they are, but still have that awesome dynamics.

What I didn't like is their relationship in this book, or lack of thereof. Somehow, there wasn't enough of it. They were far more focused on Rachel. IMO, if the guys are going to be with each other, then the focus should be on them as well.

As for Rachel, things on her side were better, but it still lacked some spark. Maybe it was the fact that parts of their relationships were happening in previous books, but it simply failed to convince me. Not to mention: I don't like it when the characters come to terms with their feelings because they almost died - it's like cheating. There were some great moments though.

I did like seeing the rest of Sector Four, and there were some new and intriguing characters. Like Ashwin, the Makhai soldier - I love him and I do hope he gets a book.

Also there was the ending - it feels like a lot of things are up in the air. Which makes me want to read the next book even more.

As for the next book, there is [bc:Beyond Solitude|20639564|Beyond Solitude (Beyond, #4.5)|Kit Rocha|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1391205353s/20639564.jpg|39929920], a novella that will be published on April 1st and [bc:Beyond Addiction|18392414|Beyond Addiction (Beyond, #5)|Kit Rocha|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389221455s/18392414.jpg|26014833] the next full length novel out in fall 2014 with Trix and Finn (Sector Five) as the main characters.